Strengths: The Bulldogs bring back first team all-conference, IBCA All-State Special Mention and AP All-State Honorable Mention guard Aiden Chang, along with all-conference second teamers Andrew Martin and Anthony Townsend.

Weaknesses: Depth will be key, especially when it comes to the bench. Aquin lost 7 seniors from last year and has just 3 this year.

Outlook: Aquin is favored to win its third straight conference crown and is currently on a 23-game conference winning streak. The Bulldogs win-streak may end this year with a more crowded conference race expected, but should be at the top of the standings by the end of the regular season.

Strengths: More depth and diversity this year. The Marcos should be more balanced offensively with improved team speed.

Weaknesses: Consistent defense will be emphasized.

Outlook: Polo will likely be Aquin’s toughest threat. The Marcos have the size, improved speed, experience (seven seniors) and depth to not only make a run at conference, but a deeper postseason run as well.

Outlook: After starting last year 4-11, the Cardinals finished with a respectable 15-13 record and was fourth in the East. This season’s more experienced group could creep into the top three in the East and may have a say when it comes to the top spot.

Dakota Indians

Coach: Mike Bartelt

Last year: 21-7, third in the NUIC East

Key returnees: Brett Benning, Sr. (guard)

Strengths: Indians return one of the best players in the area in Benning.

Weaknesses: There are no other returning players on the roster besides Benning, so depth will be a concern. Team will be inexperienced with just two seniors and four juniors.

Outlook: Dakota will struggle at times without key veteran players in the Bartelt era, but Benning will be difficult to stop for most teams. Should the younger players develop, look for the Indians to finish within the top three.

Weaknesses: Quickness could be an issue, to a degree, for the Cougars.

Outlook: The Cougars should be the top team in the West and could, once again, be the top team in all of the NUIC. Eastland lost four seniors, including starters Austin Hansen and Ty Hartman, but bring back a determined group of seniors ready to make another deep postseason run.

Outlook: The Wildcats bring back plenty, but lost plenty. Cody Landwer, Tony Hernandez, Sam Veltkamp, Brett Brown and Andrew and Austin Ertmer have all graduated, among others. River Ridge could push itself into the top two teams in the West if the newer players step up.

Weaknesses: After football team won the state title Nov. 29, four of the team’s returning basketball players will trade in their cleats for gym shoes. It’ll take a while for the players to get their basketball legs under them. Health is also a concern.

Outlook: Look for the Panthers to perhaps round out the top five of the West.

The gap between the top teams in the NUIC and the legitimate contenders in both the East and the West appear to be closing.

That’s the view that Eastland boys basketball coach Tony Dunlap has.

“I think Stockton may be head and shoulders over everybody,” Dunlap said. “River Ridge has played great basketball without their top player, Brenden Dauphin, with his injury. Scales Mound is scrappy as can be, Pearl City is scoring as many points as they want at will.

“There’s a lot of teams that are just playing really, really well. Lena-Winslow, when they get their basketball legs up under them, they’ll be a ton. There’s no off night and it’ll be a battle for our conference.”

Dunlap’s opinion notwithstanding, the general consensus is Eastland, the defending conference champions and state qualifier, is the team to beat in the 2013-14 season. The Cougars bring back two starters, including AP second teamer Dalton Shaner and Skylar Paulson, along with fellow returnees Devin Hartman, Skyler Barncord and Marshall Fink.

Last season, the Cougars had a respectable fourth-place finish at state despite losing by a point in the semifinal and just two points in the third place game. Wednesday night, Eastland lost to Class 2A third place finisher Winnebago, 73-68.

Dunlap said the team has learned a lot from its first game of the season on the road.

“Any time you can play a team with a tradition and the level of play that Winnebago does, that’s a big plus for any program,” Dunlap said. “We need to find a way to get over the hump because they’ve taken it to us the last couple of years.

“We have to get a lot better on defense because that’s way too many points to give up and we have to get mentally tougher.”

In terms of the conference, teams like East Dubuque and River Ridge will have to get healthier. Warriors guard Jonah Puls will miss time due to a football-related injury as will Dauphin for the Wildcats. The Panthers and the Blackhawks will have to get in basketball shape after prolonged football seasons, as Le-Win won the state title and Stockton played in the state quarterfinal.

In the East division, the conference race looks to be just as even as the West, if not more. Aquin, which is riding a 23-game conference winning streak, looks to win its third East championship in a row led by All-State honorable mention Aiden Chang, and all-conference second teamers Andrew Martin and Anthony Townsend.

Polo is a senior-dominated group with height and team speed, Forreston is a year older, experienced and skilled at guard, and Dakota is younger but still has second team All-State guard Brett Benning.